US 4,869,247 AGranted

Video tumor fighting system

AssigneeThe University of Virginia Alumni Patents Foundation

InventorsMatthew A. Howard, III, Rogers C. Ritter, Grady, M. Sean

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Abstract

A destructive heat lesion is placed in any location in the brain. A patient's head is secured within a stereotactic frame. After a high resolution CT scan and angiogram or MRI, data is incorporated and analyzed by a computer. This information is then resynthesized and projected as a video image on a screen facing the surgeon. A small magnetic object, perhaps a ball, is inserted into the patient's head via a burr hole drilled through the patient's skull. Using, real time fluoroscopic data superimposed on the computer image of three-dimensional structures, the surgeon is able to control and manipulate the object through the patient's soft brain tissue to a position next to or inside of the tumor area. An energy beam is then fired at the object, causing the more heat efficient object to destroy the brain tumor area. This procedure is repeated until the entire tumor is eradicated by the highly localized hyperthermia. The above procedure can be used to deliver hyperthermia, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other agents or treatments to the brain and other parts of the body as well.

Claims33

Dependent claims

The method of cranial tumor treatment, comprising:

(a) immobilizing a patient's head;
(b) conducting a scan of the patient's head and obtaining data from the scan and inputting the data in a computer;
(c) inputting data of vascular tubular brain structure and eloquent brain structure in the computer;
(d) displaying three-dimensional images of the patient's brain, vascular tubular structures, eloquent brain regions and tumor;
(e) opening a scalp of the patient and drilling an opening in a skull of the patient;
(f) inserting a small magnetic object within the opening in the skull;
(g) placing an electromagnet around the skull;
(h) controlling movement of the object within the skull and brain by changing a magnetic field size and direction of the electromagnet and steering the movement of the object within the skull and brain to avoid eloquent regions of the brain and vascular tubular structures and guiding the object into contact with and into a position within the tumor;
(i) positioning an energy beam generator on a tracking device adjacent to the skull;
(j) moving the energy beam genertor into a position to direct energy to the object within the tumor;
(k) energizing the energy beam generator and directing energy from the beam generator into the object;
(l) heating the object with energy directed into the object from the energy beam generator;
(m) creating a lesion within the tumor in a region surrounding the object by heat from the object;
(n) moving the object into another zone of the tumor by changing the field with the electromagnet;
(o) holding the object in a new position;
(p) directing energy from the energy beam generator into the object in its new position;
(q) creating a second lesion within the tumor by heat from the object and continuing the repositioning of the object within the tumor and energizing the energy beam generator and heating the object and creating lesions within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object;
(r) guiding the object outward from the lesions and steering the object through the brain while avoiding the eloquent regions of the brain and the vascular tubular structures within the brain;
(s) directing the object to the opening in the skull;
(t) removing the object the from the skull through the opening;
(u) closing the opening in the skull;
and
(v) closing the opening in the scalp.

20 more elements

The method of brain tumor treatment comprising mounting a frame on a patient's head, scanning the brain and a tumor within the brain, obtaining data from the scanning and inputting the data into a computer, inputting data of vascular tubular brain structure and eloquent brain structure in the computer, displaying three-dimensional images of the patient's brain, vascular tubular structures, eloquent brain regions and tumors, opening a scalp of the patient and drilling an opening in a skull of the patient, inserting a small magnetic object within the opening in the skull, placing an electromagnet around the skull, supplying power to the electromagnet, cooling the electromagnet, moving the electromagnet outside of the skull, observing movement of the object within the brain, controlling movement of the object within the brain by moving the electromagnet and steering the movement of the object within the brain to avoid eloquent regions and vascular tubular structures of the brain and guiding the object into contact with and into a position within the tumor, positioning an energy beam generator adjacent to the skull, moving the energy beam generator to a position to direct energy to the object within the tumor, energizing the energy beam generator and directing energy from the beam generator to the object, heating the object with directed energy from the energy beam generator, creating a lesion within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object, moving the object into another zone of the tumor by changing position of the electromagnet, holding the object in a new position, directing energy from the energy beam generator to the object in its new position, and creating a second lesion within the tumor by heat from the object, and continuing the repositioning of the object within the tumor and energizing the energy beam generator and heating the object and creating lesions within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object, guiding the object outward from the lesions and steering the object through the brain while avoiding the eloquent regions of the brain and the vascular tubular structures within the brain, directing the object to the opening in the skull, and removing the object from the skull through the opening, closing the opening in the skull and closing the opening in the scalp.

The method of cranial tumor treatment, comprising:

(a) immobilizing a patient's head;
(b) conducting a scan of the patient's head and obtaining data from the scan and inputting the data in a computer;
(c) inputting data of vascular tubular brain structure and eloquent brain structure in the computer;
(d) displaying three-dimensional images of the patient's brain, vascular tubular structures, eloquent brain regions and tumor;
(e) opening a scalp of the patient and drilling an opening in a skull of the patient;
(f) inserting a small magnetic object within the opening in the skull;
(g) placing an electromagnet around the skull;
(h) controlling movement of the object within the skull and brain by changing a magnetic field size and direction of the electromagnet and steering the movement of the object within the skull and brain to avoid eloquent regions of the brain and vascular tubular structures and guiding the object into contact with and into a position within the tumor;
(i) positioning an energy beam generator on a tracing device adjacent to the skull;
(j) moving the energy beam generator into a position to direct energy to the object within the tumor;
(k) energizing the energy beam generator and directing energy from the beam generator into the object;
(l) heating the object with energy directed into the object from the energy beam generator;
(m) creating a lesion within the tumor in a region surrounding the object by heat from the object;
(n) moving the object into another zone of the tumor by changing the field with the electromagnet;
(o) holding the object in a new position;
(p) directing energy from the energy beam generator into the object in its new position;
(q) creating a second lesion within the tumor by heat from the object and continuing the repositioning of the object within the tumor and energizing the energy beam generator and heating the object and creating lesions within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object;
(r) guiding the object outward from the lesions and steering the object to a suitable safe place within the brain and leaving it at that location;
(s) closing the opening in the skull;
and
(t) closing the opening in the scalp.

18 more elements

The method of brain tumor treatment comprising mounting a frame on a patient's head, scanning the brain and a tumor within the brain, obtaining data from the scanning and inputting the data into a computer, inputting data of vascular tubular brain structure and eloquent brain structure in the computer, displaying three-dimensional images of the patient's brain, vascular tubular structures, eloquent brain regions and tumors, opening a scalp of the patient and drilling an opening in a skull of the patient, inserting a small magnetic object within the opening in the skull, placing an electromagnet around the skull, supplying power to the electromagnet, cooling the electromagnet, moving the electromagnet outside of the skull, observing movement of the object within the brain, controlling movement of the object within the brain by moving the electromagnet and steering the movement of the object within the brain to avoid eloquent regions and vascular tubular structures of the brain and guiding the object into contact with and into a position within the tumor, positioning an energy beam generator adjacent to the skull, moving the energy beam generator to a position to direct energy to the object within the tumor, energizing the energy beam generator and directing energy from the beam generator to the object, heating the object with directed energy from the energy beam generator, creating a lesion within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object, moving the object into another zone of the tumor by changing position of the electromagnet, holding the object in a new position, directing energy from the energy beam generator to the object in its new position, and creating a second lesion within the tumor by heat from the object, and continuing the repositioning of the object within the tumor and energizing the energy beam generator and heating the object and creating lesions within regions of the tumor surrounding the object by heat from the object, guiding the object outward from the lesions to a suitably safe place within the brain and leaving it at that location, closing the opening in the skull and closing the opening in the scalp.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.